Ghosts of the Past
by Faermage-KH Junkie
Summary: Miranda Raider is an average high school student who is obsessed with Kingdom Hearts. One night, she has a strange dream and wakes up on Destiny Island. What will happen when she finds out she's destined to save the world? Selfinsert. T. SoKai.
1. Prologue: Miranda

Where do I start? This story is so big. Not even I know where it all will lead, or what will happen to me now that it's over.

Did I say over? It's only just begun. I realize that now. Even if I never see another world again, never face another enemy or see my newfound friends once more, my story will go on. My life is one of many adventures. This was my greatest, but even when I thought there was no purpose to my life, it was there. Because every day is another journey, every step another choice.

I guess, though, I should begin where it started: the end of another boring day, and a song…

* * *

I sat on my bed, headphones hanging out of my ears, humming and writing the words to a melody that had been haunting me. 

"_Listen to the sound of the moon's call_

_Listen to the beauty as she sings to you_

_We raise our voice as one in praise of her_

_Though it is her will that binds us here,"_ I wrote on the page, then added in parentheses, "Intrumental." I sang the tune out loud, high and haunting. Then, humming, I started to sing the next verse, sounding out words until they felt right. I wrote down each line as it came to me, occasionally erasing as something better came. My phone rang, interrupting my chain of thought. Grumbling, I went to answer it.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hello!" said an overly perky male voice in the background.

I sighed. "Hey, Alex," I said. Alex Washin had been my best friend since before I moved halfway across the country. "What's up?"

His voice dropped two levels on the perky meter as he said in a disappointed tone, "Did I call at a bad time?"

I could picture his face drop as he said the words, and I had to fight to keep from laughing as I said, "Yeah, I was about to get on KH, just as soon as I finished the next few lines of Moon Riders," I said, naming the song I had been working on. "I'll sing it for you if you want."

His voice raised up again, ans he said, "Kay-kay."

I started:

_"Listen to the song of the nighttime_

_Listen to the music of the darkness's tune_

_Listen to the cry of the wolves' howling_

_'We are slaves to the dance of moon and sun.'"_ Then I hummed the instrumental, which sounded a little like howling. I continued until I got to the verse I'd been writing, then sang the next one.

"Feel the earth beneath your feet,

Fell the thrill of the nighttimehunt

Fill your throat with the hunting song

She holds our voices like she holds our will." Taking a deep breath, I said, "Then the instrumental. Voila!"

"Wow, Miranda," he said, "that was really good. I see you've gotten to Sam's verses."

I nodded, then, realizing he couldn't see me, said, "That's right. Next, it's Alt's, and then we're done." I smiled. "Well, the worlds are calling me. See ya." I hung up the phone, picking up my game controller and switching on my playstation. Popping the Kingdom Hearts disc into the drive, I settled down for a few hours of comfortable adventure. After fiishing, I closed my eyes and drifte off into peaceful sleep.

* * *

I stood on a stained glass platform, emblazoned with the sign of three keys in front of a stylized crown. I looked around, but it was suspended in darkness. This was a dream, I knew, but it was a really realistic one. I stepped forward, marveling at the detail my subconcious had whipped up. Two of the three were crossed in front of the third, pointing down, and they looked more like weapons than keys. I often have dreams about the keyblades, I'll admit, but never with the detail of this one. The three blades were the Kingdom Key, the Way to the Dawn, and the Oathkeeper. Walking forward some more, I heard a voice in my mind. 

**Slave to the moon,** it said, **look now at the ghosts of your past, and choose what form your journey will take.**

"What do you mean?" I called out, but the platform shattered beneath me and I fell. I braced myself for impact, but instead found myself floating amidst a shower of memories. I stood and watched as a younger me cried out, "Mommy! Why do we have to move? I don't wanna leave Alex!" The scene flashed to an older me, walking through school in a ridiculous outfit that was all we magnet students could wear with our ever-tightening dresscode, glaring whenever someone walked by me. I wore all-black, even if it was a polo shirt and long pants, and my hair hadn't been brushed. I could feel the anger in my gaze. Why couldn't I be a ghost? the girl who had been me whispered. Another flash, and I saw my insecurity as I first went on fanfiction, and the world started flashing by, I got my first review, flash, I spoke to the first online friend I ever had, flash, I was laughing and telling my first real-world friend about the characters who had been my only comfort until now. Another flash, and another, memories going by, my first day of high school, the glee at discovering all the others like me who had banded together. More happy memories came now, towards my current moment in time, and I realized my wish was always answered: I _had_ been a ghost, frightening others with my unknown anger.

"The ghost of the past," I whispered. "That was me." All of a sudden, I stood on another platform, this one of three familiar teenagers, each carrying one of the keyblades that had been on the previous platform, while three more were stuck in the ground aroud them: the Ultima weapon, Oblivion, and the Bond of Flame. They were all facing forward, and I could imagine the sunset they were seeing. _Sora, Riku, and Kairi,_ I thought._ It'd be neat to actually meet you._

**Choose, child of the unseen,** said the voice, and three platforms rose. Floating above them, though, were not three weapons, as I had become used to in the game, but three necklaces, each with a symbol on them. One showed the moon, another a bat, and the third a wolf. I walked up to one.

**Symbol of the wolf,** the voice spoke up. **Undying courage. Though he may be a loner, wolves travel in packs. He will never want for friends. Is this the path of your soul?**

Somehow, I knew that wasn't it. "No," I said, stepping down. I moved to the next one.

The voice spoke once more. **Symbol of the bat,** it said. **Unwavering sight. She travels through the deepest darkness without fail, guiding others. She is often misunderstood. Is **_**this**_** the path of your soul?**

The description sounded a little like me, but again, it was wrong somehow. "No," I said again, stepping down. I didn't even need to move, for the moon charm suddenly sat in front of me, glittering, and again, the voice spoke.

**Symbol of the moon,** it said. **Glimmering hope. Though often unseen, her light binds the others. Many mysteries surround her. This must be the path of your soul.**

I didn't know how I could be what the voice was describing, but something about the strange necklace called to me, and I reached out for it.

**Put it on, and awaken, She Who Must Be Admired, and then your journey will begin,** it said, and I put on the necklace. A powerful feeling of weariness came over me, and I collapsed to the stone floor.

* * *

I awoke to see someone standing over me. I couldn't see them clearly, because my vision was fuzzy, but I felt warmth underneath me, and a soothing sound like waves breaking lulled me back to sleep.

* * *

A/N: So, how'd you like that? This is my first crack at a selfinsertion, as well as at a KHIII. Anyway, to pre-empt a few questions: I do not own KH. I mean, come on, if I owned it, why would I be on fanfiction? Next, yes. Alex (and any other real-world people I mention in this fic) is a real person. His name HAS been changed, along with the names of anyone whose permission I did not get for using their real names in this fic. All last names are fake. If I get permission, I will post his penname in the fic. If not, too bad. Third, the song Moon Riders IS an original creation of mine. It is not, in any way, shape, or form, a real song (though I hope it will be someday) and I DO NOT want to hear any requests for where to get it. I OWN IT, it is MINE, and you CANNOT use it in a fic without my permission. 

Other than that, feel free to review (really, I wish you would) and enjoy the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 1: Land, Sky, and Sea

A/N: Heyhey, Ghosts chap II here and I hope you enjoy this little romp into the fantasy world. You get to learn a bit more about how she is now, and get to learn what happens to her in the world of Kingdom Hearts. I'm taking suggestions for the first world she goes to, but note that not all the worlds in here are going to be Disney - I'm very much a fan of Anime Hearts fics, as it were.

Anyway, please review and I hope you like it!

* * *

Slowly, I came to, and looked around. I was lying in a bed in a room I didn't recognize. I looked down at my hands. My first conscious thought was, _Wow, those are cool gloves. _My second conscious thought was, _HOLY CRAP! I'M SEE THROUGH!_

I sat up hard, and the girl who I hadn't seen turned toward me. "Hey," she said, "you're awake."

"Who are you?" I asked. "And what the hell have you done to me?"

"I didn't do anything," she said. "I found you like that." She frowned, then added, "Be careful, it took all three of us to get you here."

"I'm not that heavy," I muttered, getting out of bed. I tried to lean against the wall.

Operative word being _tried._

I yelped as the wall was suddenly not there. Or rather, I wasn't there. "What the hell?" I asked, pulling myself back up _through the wall._ Yes. Through. The. Wall.

"I warned you," she said, and something about her suddenly started to register as familiar. Her red hair came down a little past her shoulders, and her blue eyes were filled with concern. I got back up.

"What… am I?" I asked. "This is _definitely_ not normal. And you never answered my first question," I said. Another piece of her statement nagged at me. "And what do you mean, all three of you?"

"Me, my boyfriend, and his best friend. And your question doesn't make sense - what do you mean, who am I? I thought everyone on this island knew us."

There was definitely something I was missing here. My brain was screaming at me. You know those times when you take a test, and you know the answer, but just can't quite remember it? That's how this felt. Instead, however, I stupidly asked, "Island?"

Her frown widened. "Didn't you know? This is Destiny Island."

Everything suddenly clicked into place. "That means you're Kairi," I said, and she nodded. "Riiiight. O-kay, wake me up now, I know I'm dreaming."

The girl calling herself Kairi (yeah, right) looked even more puzzled. "What do you mean by that?" she asked. "You mean, you're not from this island?" She shook her head. "That's impossible. No one but Sora, Riku, and I can use the Gates and Passages, and there's no way someone could have gotten here any other way."

"But, this can't be _real_!" I said. "You guys don't exist where I come from!"

"You mean you _are_ from another world!" she exclaimed. "That's impossible!"

I laughed. "I don't know _why_ you're surprised. You're the hero! I mean, _I'm_ the one freaking out, here. I'm standing here, with a _legend_, acting like a ghost, and standing in a place that's not even supposed to exist." She was convincing me. I certainly wasn't anywhere _I_ recognized, and she was way too perfect a copy to be anything but the real deal.

"Where do you come from?" she asked. "And if Sora never went there, how do you know about us?"

I shook my head. "That's way too long a story to explain easily. It's a world that's really different from the others," I said. "Instead of being a single planet, there are hundreds and hundreds, an entire universe in one world, and the stars in our sky aren't the other worlds, they're the other planets and stars like our sun. Most people on my world don't even know there _are_ other worlds."

"Wow," she said. "That's an interesting story. It's also one I'm sure Sora will want to hear. If a world that's _that_ separated from the others let someone through, there's got to be a good reason."

"Sora?" I asked. "Me? Meet… _him?_ And Riku, too?"

She shrugged. "I don't see why not. There has to be a reason you're here."

She didn't get the point, but I wasn't going to press it. How do you explain to someone that one of their best friends had been your idol ever since you were twelve? I certainly didn't know, and I wasn't going to try. I just nodded. "Okay," I said, and she led me out of the small house.

I looked in awe around the island. It was beautiful, in a rural-country sort of way. The colors were all enhanced, and there was grass everywhere. Have you ever seen that Hayao Miyazaki movie? The one about a witch who had to go off on a training mission, or something? There's a scene where the main character runs through her home in rural Japan, with these dirt roads and lush country grass. It was like that. The houses were far enough apart to give a person breathing room, and I loved it more than any place I'd ever been. Then, we reached the ocean.

It was a shade of blue rarely achieved on our world, and across it, I could see the islet that had become so familiar to me over the course of nearly three years of playing. It looked strange, seeing it in the flesh, almost like something out of a dream, but I knew I wasn't imagining this. It was amazing. Kairi shouted at me, snapping me from my reverie. I saw that she was untying a small boat from a dock, and I headed over.

"So, we go in that?" I asked her.

"Yeah. The others are already there. Do you know anything about boats?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Not much. I grew up in a city, like Twilight Town," I said. "No water."

She nodded. "Okay. Be very careful when getting in, and try not to rock it or anything like that, or we could end up in the water, and while we _can_ swim across, let's not and say we didn't."

I nodded back. "Gotcha."

She climbed into the boat, and I followed her example. She rowed across the channel, and we exited onto a wooden dock. I looked around. Somehow, the buildings hadn't seemed so huge in Kingdom Hearts. It was amazing that the had been made by the hands of clever children. The were nestled into the huge trees, towering over our heads. I could see the ladders where they climb up to the treehouses, the shack where the first save was in the game, everything. It was all so familiar and yet so strange. I could see two shapes sitting on a bent-over tree. Kairi went towards the shack.

"Come on!" she aid. "It's this way."

I followed her, climbing the stairs and walking out over the bridge, trying not to look down. I'm not too good with heights.

From this distance, I could see them better: two boys, dressed in strange clothing, by the standards of my world, looking out to sea. One had brown hair, spiked to an almost impossible level. I knew without seeing that his eyes were as blue as the far reaches of that ocean. The one next to him had silver hair that softly blew in the breeze. I knew what color his eyes were, too, and he turned at the sound of our approach. Eyes the color of blue ice, the color of deep shadows on pure snow, met my plain brown eyes. "Riku…" I whispered.

He nudged his companion. "Hey Sora," he said. "They're here."

The brunette started a little, and we came around the tree. "Hey, Sora, Riku," she said. "Our friend's awake, and there's some news." Her brow wrinkled a little. "Not all good news either."

Riku hopped down from the tree, then turned those amazing eyes on me, all serious now. "Business, then?" he asked with a frown. Sora emulated his example, and Kairi nodded assent.

"Somehow, she managed to get here from another world." The others' postures suddenly stiffened, and I could see the training that they had gone through in their every move. It hadn't been readily apparent, but it hid there, under the surface. "And," she added, "one that wasn't under attack. In fact, she didn't even know we were _anything more than a legend_ before she came here."

That got their attention. Sora, always the leader, asked first. "How's that possible? Where're you from, anyway, uh…." He smiled, a little embarrassed. "Sorry, didn't catch your name."

The question I'd been dreading. No way could I use my own dorky name. I mean, sure, it was Latin, had a huge history, blah, blah, blah, but it was dumb. What anime character do _you_ know of called Miranda? That's _sure not gonna impress Ri… I, mean, uh, the Keybladers, _I thought to myself, carefully correcting my mental statement. I couldn't use my screen-name – Faer sounds too boring, or vain. Mage was also out, as was Traveler. They were more saying what you were. I did a frantic mental search, then fell back on an old standby. "I'm Miri," I said.

"Nice to meetcha, Miri," Sora replied, shaking my hand.

"It's an honor," said Riku. Again, his eyes met mine and a chill went through me. There was a depth to those eyes I'd never seen in anyone I'd ever met on Earth. There was sadness in them, and hope.

"The honor is mine," I said formally, then, "No, really. I've heard a lot about you three where I come from. To me, standing here is like a dream come true."

Riku sighed. "Which brings us to the point of discussion: where exactly _are_ you from?" he asked.

"Well, it's a little place called Earth…"


	3. Chapter 2: A New Journey

A/N: Alright, the third chapter is finally here! Now to reply to reviews (first and second chap):

BLack Scepter: First of all, yes, she has wanted to be unseen... and has been! Now, though is her turn to be a hero. WOw, that sounded... cheesy... And second, yeah, she likes Riku. Don't know if he will like her back, though, you'll just have to find out. I was inspired in the description by Kiki's Delivery Service (the movie that I mentioned).

Lily Argetfricai: Yeah, that would be cool. I'm glad you like it!

Dramatical Error: LOL! I'm sure you'll be surprised by this chapter.

Storm Midnight: Thanks for the faves! And thanks about the song, it actually comes from a roleplay I did with my friend. That beginning was inspired by a lot of things. It's one of my favorite ways of beginning a story, and I always wanted to do that once. Yes, I am obsessed with Riku! How could you tell? (I was being sarcastic, BTW)

Ao Kudo: Thanks!

One-Winged Otaku: yeah, I wrote it. It's meant to have a beat following a running stride, like a hunting wolf. I wanted to do an original idea that no one had done or the opening scenes, so I thought making up my own symbols would be a great way to do that.

Oh, the song used in this chapter is Taylor Swift's I'd Lie. I don't own it.

* * *

"So," said Sora when I was finished, "in your world we're nothing more than fiction?"

I nodded. "I wouldn't say 'nothing more,'" I replied. "To some people, you're still heroes, even if you aren't real. Parents even think highly of you." I smiled. "And you can imagine how hard _that_ is to accomplish."

Riku smiled. "Yeah, I can."

"We need to find out why this happened," Kairi interjected. "People from other worlds, especially isolated worlds like your Earth, shouldn't be randomly appearing on Destiny Island." She looked around, then said, "I think this calls for a visit to old friends."

They looked at each other, all three of them, and then Sora and Riku nodded.

"Does that… mean what I think it means?" I asked carefully.

Kairi's eyes lit up. "We're going off-world," she said. "You've got three days to pack."

* * *

That night, I met Kairi's adopted family for the first time. The mayor and his wife were really nice. It also turned out that my backpack had washed up on shore with me, and inside were things I never expected to see.

"It's my stuff!" I shouted. My comb was in there, my portable game platforms, and…

"My Sansa!" I pulled out the tiny pink device. I turned it on. "Wait a minute, the power bar didn't appear." I shrugged. "I guess there's no such thing as batteries in this world."

I shoved the items back into my backpack, then turned toward the mirror in Kairi's room. It would take me a while to get used to my appearance in this world.

My mid-neck length hair had grown out a little, and it had gone even darker than usual. It was messy, but in an anime sort of way, with the strands pointed at the bottom and the sides cut sort of shaggy, but not so bad it made me look like a hobo. If you've ever seen Bleach, think Tatsuki's hair.�I also noticed that the annoying tendency of my hair to flip up at the end was gone. _Please let me keep this hair when this whole thing is over_, I begged whatever thing had lured me into this. My clothes had also changed. I wore a black midriff shirt with a griffon on it over a pair of long black pants. I was also wearing a few armbands like Kairi wore in the first game. Around my neck was a chain with a crescent moon on it - the same moon from my dream. The most disturbing thing, though, was the fact that I was transparent, like some kind of ghost.

"Okay, I'm ready," I said, turning back toward Kairi.

She nodded. "The only thing I can think of that you're missing is a weapon, and we can get that where we're going."

* * *

Two days later, we met on the beach. My backpack was slung over my shoulder, carrying both my and Kairi's stuff. She evidently didn't have a bag tht would've worked very well for traveling, so I offered to carry her stuff.

Sora led us over the bridge, then set a device down in the sand. After pushing a few buttons, a large, green circle opened up over the ground. "Okay, guys, stand in the lauch circle."

"So _that's_ what the save points really are," I muttered, standing in the circle. I felt a bit light, and suddenly I was standing in a cockpit. The floor was slightly springy, and a bunch of lights flashed over the dashboard.

"Welcome to the Gummi Ship, Miri," said Sora.

"Wow," I said. "It's a lot bigger than I thought."

He smiled. "I guess it's a shock for you, being here for the first time, especially after thinking it was just a game for most of your life."

I nodded.

"Living quarters are that way," Riku said, and pointed. "We installed some after we started traveling together. You'd be surprised at what we do every day. Being a hero's not all it's cracked up to be."

I smiled. "_Nothing_ would surprise me anymore." I looked at him, and again our eyes met for a moment. I felt… happy. For the first time in my life, I felt like I mattered more than just another kid in just another school, and meeting these people was a dream come true. I beamed at him, then went to my cabin. Did I dare to call them my friends?

I was shocked at the answer I gave myself.

It was yes.

* * *

"_I can tell you his favorite color's green,_

_He loves to argue, born on the seventeenth  
His sister's beautiful, he has his father's eyes  
And if you ask me if I love him,  
I'd lie"_

I bobbed my head in time to the music. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I said.

"Hey," Kairi said. "I just wanted to tell you that we're going to arrive in a few hours. You might want to come in later, it's interesting to see a world from the cockpit."

I nodded. "Hey," I said. "Would you like to listen to some music? I found some speakers in my backpack."

"Really?" she asked. "I'd love to hear some."

I connected the speakers, then selected a song. "Let me introduce you to an artist called Taylor Swift…"

* * *

Riku walked in a few hours later. "We're approaching Radiant Garden," he said, then his eybrows went up and an amused smile crossed his face. "What _are_ you girls listening to?" he asked.

I turned off the player and stuffed it and the speakers into my bag, which I noticed had gotten a revamp on the amount of stuf that could be crammed into it.

"Shoujo music," I replied. 

"Shoujo?" he asked. "Oh. Girl. Right." He shook his head. "I never expect you to speak our language."

"I'm studying it at home. It's a form of Japanese," I replied.

Kairi and I walked back to the cockpit, and the sight I saw almost took my breath away. Circling below us was a planet, like the pictures you see of earth from space but different. I could see a castle, far below us.

"Okay, everyone out," Sora said. I waited, and again that light feeling came over me. Once again, I found myself standing in a place I'd never been, yet one that looked so familiar to me.

A stone city, beautiful in it's own way, standing in the shadow of a castle. All around me, people went about their business, one of them occasionally recognizing Sora and the others and stopping to whisper to a friend or say hello.

He led us down the familiar path tho a small house near the castle. I went to open the door, but my hand passed through it. "Damn it!" I snarled. "Why can't I ever seem to control whether or not I can touch something? It's like I have a randomness factor or something!" I sighed. "Sorry. It's just, I'm not used to this kind of thing."

Kairi nodded sympathetically�and opened the door.

Inside,�a tall man in black was sitting at a huge, wall-set computer. At the sound of the door opening, he looked up. A long scar crossed his face underneath his brown eyes. I recognized him immediately.

"Leon!" Sora exclaimed.

"Sora!" he said, crossing the room. "It's nice to see you and your friends again. What've you been up to?"

"Not much," he said. "School's pretty boring these days, and the island's as small as ever."

"Who's your new friend?" Leon asked, noticing me for the first time.

"This is Miri," Sora replied.

"It's an honor to meet you, Sir," I said.

He laughed. "Please, it's just Leon," he said. "I never was one for titles."

I nodded. Kairi said, "It's because of her we came to see you. As you may have noticed, she's not exactly normal."

"I can see that." Suddenly, he was all business, his eyes serious. "What's going on?"

"We were going to ask you that," Sora replied. "Miri's from another world, one that sounds like it's really separated from ours, but she washed up on the beach, just like Kairi did ten years ago."

"That is a problem."

All of a sudden there was a large POOF, and an old man dressed in a blue robe appeared in a puff of smoke. "A very serious one indeed," he said.

"How does he _do_ that?" Riku, Kairi, Sora, and I all muttered at the same time. Kairi and I started to giggle, then became serious again.

"Merlin!" Sora said. "What can you tell us about this?"

"The balance of the worlds has been upset," he said. "Could I have a look at your friend?"

"Sure," I said.

"Hmmm," he mumbled gravely. "It seems you've become a wandering spirit," he said to me.

"Is that like a ghost?" I asked.

"No. You're not dead, just missing a body. You have more in common with Roxas and Namine. You must find yourself before you can be complete."

"What do you mean, more like us?" asked a new voice. "I thought we were Nobodies."

I turned to see a transparent figure standing next to Sora. It was Roxas.

"Ah, Roxas," Merlin answered, "you and Namine are special. Neither of you were born like other Nobodies. Your main difference is that you have hearts and no bodies, rather than bodies and no hearts. Although you were born of someone losing their heart, you're not actually Nobodies."

"Great, now I'm even more of a freak," Roxas muttered.

"How do I get back to normal?" I asked.

"I just told you," said the old wizard. "You must find your body. But, of more pressing urgency, is how you got here in the first place. The walls between the worlds are thinning again. Thinning greatly, for Earth to be involved."

"How did you know what world she was from?" Sora asked.

Merlin sighed. "Earth is a very special world, my young friend. It is the orginal from which all other worlds were split. When the One World was destroyed, Earth was sealed off from the others. It has no magic whatsoever, so whenever a being from Earth travels to one of the other worlds, they have a distinct aura."

Leon interjected suddenly. "I thought Earth was only a legend."

Merlin shook his head. "No. It is very much real. Something is going horribly wrong, though. There hasn't been a traveler from Earth in hundreds of years. In fact, there has been only _one_ in the entire�history of the worlds."

"Wow." That was all I could say. I mean, how often do you find out your planet is some legendary piece of a huge legend you had thought was only a part of some video game?

That was a rhetorical question, by the way.

"So I guess that means we're going on another journey, huh?" asked Sora.

Leon nodded.

"No leaving me out this time!" Kairi said.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Then it's settled!" I cried. I was giddy with happiness. "Next stop: adventure!"


	4. Welcome Back to GotP

Dear Readers,

Hey there. Miri speaking. AKA Faer. It's been awhile. My sincerest apologies for the limbo GotP has gone through; I hope you're all still reading, although I know that some of you just aren't.

This fic holds a dear place in my heart, for several reasons, and I'm glad to finally be able to come back to it. It's been years since I've written anything which would actually make it into your subscription box, and I'm excited. But before we begin, I'd like to say a few words about the fic itself.

Ghosts, or GotP, or whatever you prefer to call it, was originally created to be three things. First, it was to be a decent, original self-insert fic. Second, to be a reasonable attempt at a KH3 storyline. And third, to be proof that those two things _could_ actually be done, together, with a decent level of quality, and a lack of Sue-ism. In the process, it would become the first fic that I actually ever took seriously, and the first to which I would become dedicated. When writer's block and real life struck my inspiration dead, I spent hours in front of my computer screen gnashing teeth and trying to produce working verbiage. I failed.

Months later, I returned to GotP, to find that I'd grown as a writer and a storyteller. My early efforts, I realized, were pretty damn pathetic, filled with events that made me want to tear my hair out and lines that made me want to brain myself with my keyboard. Embarrassed, I found myself unable to get past the early chapters, and Ghosts officially entered Development Hell. Still, I found myself unable to give up on the damn thing. Ideas floated up here, a later chapter got begun there, and all the characters bugged and nagged at me. Roleplays were done, crossovers were planned, worlds were plotted and left half-finished, and still, nothing got written.

The mood has struck me again – and this time, I'm not letting go. I'm determined to bring you the quality you deserve, the fic you were meant to read.

Thus, changes are being made.

First things first – here's the scoop on GotP's relation to KH canon. Frankly, some of the later games blew planned GotP plot elements completely out of the water (remember, this fic was started before BBS was even in pre-production), so the canon that Ghosts follows will be selective and limited to things I like and want to keep, and don't mess with my plot. Deal with it. BBS, Coded, KH3D, and the real KH3 are not and likely will not be included in the Ghosts canon, and influences from Days are limited. In addition, quite a lot of my speculation and original concepts will be left in, even when they contradict Word of God and the aforementioned games.

To any of you wondering about Roxas' presence in the previous chapter, he was originally supposed to have quite large role in GotP. After rethinking things, his role has been drastically reduced. After this point, he'll only appear when directly referenced or spoken to; instead, I'm hoping for him to play a similar, but expanded, role to what he is in KH2, a sort of emotional presence within Sora, guiding him in some ways but rarely speaking himself or appearing outside of Sora. Namine and Kairi will be the same. For those fans of Roxas and Nami, however, rest assured that they will play a large part near the ending of the fic, though just _what_ that part is, you'll just have to read to find out.

As for other points, several worlds are already being plotted and planned, mostly with original plots as Disney sequels have an annoying tendency to be next-gen affairs or interquels. Worlds are planned to include several popular anime, as well as (possibly) some video games, although to avoid paradox, Final Fantasy titles will _not_ have their own worlds in GotP.

Currently, I'm working on plots for Atlantica, Halloween Town, a possible Twilight Town revisit, a Fullmetal Alchemist world, Karakura Town from Bleach, Code Lyoko's Kadic Academy, and (tentatively) a world based on the manga "Crescent Moon", although any and all of those could be scrapped at any time, and other worlds might be added to the list.

Originally, I'd also planned a world based on The World Ends With You, a cult-hit DS title by the same team that made Kingdom Hearts, but with the inclusion of TWEWY in KH3D, I may or may not ever actually write said world; it all depends on how satisfied I am with the job they do in Dream Drop Distance. After all, the first purpose of fanfiction is Author Appeal – if Squeenix does it, I don't have to. Then again, I just might do it anyway; what do you guys think of the idea?

Perhaps the most important changes will be happening with the character of Miri, my fictional counterpart. Honestly, I'm not satisfied with how well I'd fleshed her out, three uploaded chapters or no. She feels… _flat,_ without much depth to her except for the hints of her troubled past and her obvious (too obvious, looking back) sympathies for Riku. As I write, I'm going to do my best to flesh her out, explore her hidden depths and turn her into something more than just my Author Avatar.

Speaking of Riku, I'm fully aware that some of my oneshots have spoiled the fact that I've already decided to have the two of them get together in the end. However, I'm also going to do my best to create an accurate portrayal of their relationship. Miri has no idea, at this point, what love really is. If she comes across as a fangirl with a crush right now, good. She is. She's supposed to be that way. It's going to be an interesting challenge, as the author, to take that, and turn it, realistically, into a functioning, two-sided relationship.

Another focus of my attention is the new characters that are planned to make their appearances as the fic goes on. Miri will gain two new companions, and soon, the antagonists will rear their ugly heads. The astute reader is advised to pay attention the first couple of chapters, especially Miri's dream sequence. Those two other charms she saw _will_ become important later on.

Interestingly enough, the biggest change planned for the fic is on the subject of Miri's (eventual) keyblade. I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying that she's going to get one. Anyway, my original choice of keyblade for Miri came straight from the games, but even while still writing the fic, I found myself loathing that original choice. Instead, she'll be getting a newly-designed Key, created by me, specifically for her. You'll be seeing her get a (non-Keyblade) weapon in the next chapter, and I'm also particularly eager to show that, since it's one of my favorite created weapons ever.

On that note, I suppose I should close this up; it's quite long already. However, I think one last point is in order.

Many things have happened to me, as a person, since the idea of Ghosts first came to me in middle school. Friendships have formed and broken up, I've learned firsthand what it means to grieve, and in that painful process, I've also learned what love really means. I'm in college now, a dream that, for Miri, is still several years on the horizon. Miri-the-character is really a snapshot of the person who I thought I wanted to be, years ago, and the experiences I've had will shape the image that she'll grow into, just as the experiences I've planned for her in the past have, in some ways, shaped me.

Just like mine, hers will be, at least in some ways, a journey of the heart; I hope, sincerely, that you all enjoy the story she has to tell. I have.

~Faer/Miri


	5. Chapter 3: Jumping Off

As we left the Committee's base, Sora once again took his natural position at lead.

"First order of business," he said cheerfully, "is to buy you a weapon, Miri. Luckily, I know just the shop." He led us along yet another familiar route toward the town's main square. Again, that strange sense of déjà vu pervaded everything, the strange feeling of actually being somewhere you had only seen in video games.

We walked up to a stall with the familiar emblem of a staff and fleur-de-lis above it. Underneath, a sign proclaimed, "Dewey's Weapons - We serve heroes!" I smiled. _That's original,_ I thought.

"Sora!" shouted a small duck in blue, sitting on a barstool behind the counter. "Good to see my favorite customer! How's Unca' Donald?"

Sora smiled and leaned on the counter. "Living it up back at Disney Castle," he said. "How's business?"

"Not as good as when you were buying," he said, sighing. "Could I convince your friends to buy something?"

"Actually, you're in luck," he said, pushing me forward. "Miri here needs a weapon."

"Well, then, she's come to the right place!" he proclaimed with a beam. How a _duck_ can beam is a mystery to me, but he managed. "What's your specialty?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I'm kinda new at this."

He glared at Sora. "What's an experienced hero like you doing taking a raw beginner out on adventures with you?" he asked.

"This whole thing is kinda my fault," I said, rushing to the defense of the boy standing next to me. "It's not like he had a choice." Riku look at me sympathetically. He had gone through something similar.

The tiny duck jumped off his stool, disappearing for a moment before the gate opened and we were led inside the tiny stall. "We'll find you a weapon."

The atmosphere at the back of the shop was cool, filled with the smell of steel. I noticed Riku unobtrusively beginning to gauge the quality of the weapons, evidently pleased. I could tell he liked it back here. Slowly, I walked around the stall, picking up and testing out weapons.

"Somewhere in here should be one just for you," Dewey told me, following me around the stall. I picked up one after another, searching for one that felt right in my hands. I closed my eyes and ran my fingers along the sheathed pieces of deadly metal. Suddenly, my hand found one, hidden among the rest, buried in a pile of swords. I opened my eyes.

It was a longsword, about a yard long, perfectly fit to my hand. It was balanced perfectly, and I examined it. It was in a back sheath, crafted from plain, yet good-quality, leather. What little decoration there was was at the top, a stamped pattern that looked like Celtic knotwork. The patterns seemed to flow and move, and they somehow gave me strength.

The sword itself was also plain, the hilt inlaid with metal for grip. It had no handguard, making it one, long, flowing shape. I looked at the pattern on the hilt and noticed what looked like writing in the work, but I couldn't read it, and with another shift of the light, it was gone. On the pommel was a little loop of wire, a half-circle that looked like you could attach something to it. I looked out of the corner of my eye at Sora, but the Keyblade was away so I couldn't compare the two. However, I had drawn it enough to know that the fixtures were identical. What was a longsword doing with a keychain loop, but no keychain? I shook my head. That didn't matter right now.

The little duck saw me looking at it. "That's an interesting piece, I'd nearly forgotten I had it. Hmm. Normally, I'd ask 2000 munny, but since you're with a friend, I'll mark it down to 1500."

Sora mumbled something under his breath, but rummaged in his pouch until he had 1500 munny worth of the little golden balls.

Dewey took them, once again beaming in the way that, somehow, ducks beam. "Huey and Louie asked me to pass along that should you need any armor or accessories, to let them know!"

"I'm sure they did," Sora replied. "Let's go, guys. I don't think we need any yet, considering the fact that Miri here probably can't wear too many yet."

I shook my head as we walked out of the store. "I've always wondered what the explanation of that is."

Riku laughed. "Each accessory contains magic. The more magic you wear, the more it weighs you down. If you use too many, you can pass out. The 'limit' is how much you can safely wear. The more you fight and are exposed to magic, the easier it is to carry." He smiled. "Armor is based on physical strength. You'll be gaining a _lot_ of that."

"Oh, joy," I muttered. "This is gonna be fun."

* * *

After we arrived at Merlin's house once more, we said goodbye to everyone. Aerith came up to me and I smiled. Aerith is impossible to hate once you get to know her.

"Here," she said, handing a small pouch to me. "A place to keep your own munny so you don't have to rely on Sora… and so he doesn't use it all for him."

"Hey!" Sora's retaliating comment brought on giggles from all the girls in the room, and snickers from Riku.

"Well, we really have to go now," I said, smiling at them all. "I can't wait to see you all again."

Aerith smiled back – it seemed like she was always smiling, really – and clasped her hands in front of her. "It was wonderful meeting you," she said. "Please come back safely." She looked at Riku. "You too; you make sure Sora takes care of her and Kairi."

Sora blushed; Riku laughed.

"Of course," he said.

"You guys be safe too, alright?" Sora added. "I don't want to come back and find you all under attack again, now!"

Leon snorted. "We'll handle it," he said, deadpan.

Yuffie grinned. "Bet on it!"

And with that, we waved our farewells, and left.

It was strange, I thought to myself. Nothing had even happened yet, but I could feel the feeling of adventure starting to set in. It hadn't even really been a day, I had only barely met any of them, but I was starting to feel at home, and welcome.

I grinned. This was going to be an amazing journey.

* * *

_A/N: Of course, not much to say after that hugely long AUthor's Note chapter back there, but just here to talk a little bit._

_Only a little bit of that chapter was written recently; most had been languishing on my hard drive for a very long time, unfinished and unfinishable. I know the chapter is incredibly short, and I apologize for that, but the original section that was to follow this will be coming next chapter. I'm also taking votes through reviews as to what worlds Miri should and should not visit. We'll start to get into the real meaty plot next chapter, so I hope you like it. R&R!  
_


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